This was my fun day today. I'm posting this because I really can't say anything more, but the below came from the Ft. Drum Public Affairs OFfice and was approved for release. Suffice it to say that today was not fun.
Update: 'Suspicious Device' Investigated At Fort Drum Wednesday, November 29, 2006, 12:55pm An official with Fort Drum's Public Affairs Office confirmed Wednesday morning that a suspicious device was found in a barracks. However, initial concerns that the device was a bomb or destructive mechanism proved to be unfounded, Major Sean Wilson said. According to Wilson, a call was made at 8:45 a.m. to Fort Drum emergency personnel alerting them of an object that "didn't look right." The barracks was evacuated. Upon further investigation, it was determined an unidentified soldier had contraband. Wilson would not disclose what the contraband was. He said only that it was not weapons or drugs. The soldier was detained for questioning, but Wilson said there appeared to be no criminal intent. Wilson would not disclose the soldier's unit. The incident made for tense moments at Fort Drum, especially since the Under Secretary of Defense was visiting the post at the time. Bill Huba, spokesperson for the FBI in Syracuse, told 7 News his agency is assisting the Army with its investigation.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
For the second time in the last 3 years, I wasn't able to go home for Thanksgiving. I had to pull Brigade Staff Duty on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so there was no real way of making it home and having it be worthwhile since I had to be around here. Luckily, my PSG invited me over to spend Thanksgiving Day with her and her family, so Thanksgiving didn't turn out to be me sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of Ramen noodles or something equally pathetic. I baked an apple pie, which I'm actually quite proficient at now, and despite not being at home with the family, Thanksgiving actually turned out to be a pretty decent day. That said, it will be nice to be home for Christmas and have the whole family together for the first time since last Christmas, especially since it looks like both Ashley and I will be deploying within the next year.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Another Rainy Week at Ft. Drum
Looks like this is going to be another stellar week at Ft. Drum. It's been raining all morning, meaning that at almost 11 o'clock I'm still in my PJs because there's absolutely no reason to go outside when I can stay warm and dry inside.
I'm finally getting around to clearing out the last of the boxes from moving in to my apartment. I figure it's about time since I've been here over 2 months now. Besides, if I clear out all the boxes I'll be able to figure out how much room I have left that I need to find things to buy to fill up the spaces. Haha, just kidding, although I am in the market for a good bookcase and possibly some sort of table for the entryway. I sure never realized how much it took to make someplace feel like home, but I'm glad that I've had the luxury to be able to buy just about anything I want thanks to my 6 month vacation in Afghanistan.
I'm finally getting around to clearing out the last of the boxes from moving in to my apartment. I figure it's about time since I've been here over 2 months now. Besides, if I clear out all the boxes I'll be able to figure out how much room I have left that I need to find things to buy to fill up the spaces. Haha, just kidding, although I am in the market for a good bookcase and possibly some sort of table for the entryway. I sure never realized how much it took to make someplace feel like home, but I'm glad that I've had the luxury to be able to buy just about anything I want thanks to my 6 month vacation in Afghanistan.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
In Memory of Amos Camden Riley Bock
The West Point Class of 2004 lost one of our members last week to an IED in Iraq. He was the fifth person we've lost from our class so far, but for me, the first one of those guys that I actually knew well enough to have it hurt when I heard.
Amos was my next door neighbor first semester firstie year. I have so many memories of him from that semester, when he was a new F-Trooper. I didn't know what to think of the "new guy" at first, but it wasn't too long before I realized he was someone special.
I decided to take entirely too many classes that semester, and it wasn't uncommon for me to be up until the wee hours of the morning. Amos was a bit of a night owl too, and we sort of got into a routine where he would stop by after getting back from the Firstie Club and give me a hard time about studying too much and not having enough fun. The extra chair in our room became his chair, and anyone else sitting there when he stopped by was subject to getting kicked out. If he made coffee at midnight, I'd usually be awake, and get half the pot, and we'd sit out in the hallway and talk while we both got a bit more awake to continue working on whatever paper was due. I can't remember everything we talked about, but it usually put a smile on my face and made me forget what I was stressing about, because Amos would find some way to make an imaginary argument over something silly just so he could flash his grin and say he outsmarted me.
Aside from coffee at midnight, Amos came to me and my roommate's rescue one night when we saw a few furry invaders under my desk. West Point had a bit of a mouse problem that semester, and being two girls in a room, we decided the easiest way to solve the problem was jump on my bed, get away from the mice and shriek until the guys next door came to our rescue. Amos and his roommate burst in to find out what we were making all the racket about, and Amos quickly decided that the nearest mouse eliminator at hand was my saber. He spent about five minutes cornering that mouse under my desk, and finally emerged victorious, and presented me with my combat-tested saber and the advice that I might want to clean it, but he would dispose of the mouse.
Mouse hunting aside, Amos also decided he needed to educate me on a few domestic skills, but especially cooking, teaching me how to make a good pot of coffee and "Barracks Quesadillas." I didn't know what to think the night he knocked on door and asked if I was hungry and if I had an iron. Replying yes on both accounts, I was told to hurry up and get next door and bring my iron with me. I laughed when he said we were making quesadillas, but they were really good, and all it took was ironing the tortillas and cheese between waxed paper or paper towels. I never would have thought of that.
The last night before we left for Christmas leave, we both were up pretty much all night studying for the Mil Art TEE. It focused pretty heavily on the Civil War, and I kept getting generals mixed up and couldn't keep track of the order of the battles. After agreeing to refer to it as the War of Northern Agression, Amos walked me through the entire war and laid it all out for me far better than any text book or History P had been able to. Of course, the lesson featured heavily on Missouri's contribution to the war, and had a side note on why Amos was Amos Camden Riley (and had the card to prove where it came from). That was probably the first (and only) history TEE I ever went into feeling that I knew the answer to just about anything they could throw at me.
I guess to sum it all up, Amos taught me an awful lot, and I'm incredibly grateful. I cried when I heard, but in trying to explain the type of person he was to the people I was with, I found myself laughing as I told some of these stories. He was just such a good guy, and I'm truly sorry that he's gone. Well done Amos, we'll see you on the other side.
Amos was my next door neighbor first semester firstie year. I have so many memories of him from that semester, when he was a new F-Trooper. I didn't know what to think of the "new guy" at first, but it wasn't too long before I realized he was someone special.
I decided to take entirely too many classes that semester, and it wasn't uncommon for me to be up until the wee hours of the morning. Amos was a bit of a night owl too, and we sort of got into a routine where he would stop by after getting back from the Firstie Club and give me a hard time about studying too much and not having enough fun. The extra chair in our room became his chair, and anyone else sitting there when he stopped by was subject to getting kicked out. If he made coffee at midnight, I'd usually be awake, and get half the pot, and we'd sit out in the hallway and talk while we both got a bit more awake to continue working on whatever paper was due. I can't remember everything we talked about, but it usually put a smile on my face and made me forget what I was stressing about, because Amos would find some way to make an imaginary argument over something silly just so he could flash his grin and say he outsmarted me.
Aside from coffee at midnight, Amos came to me and my roommate's rescue one night when we saw a few furry invaders under my desk. West Point had a bit of a mouse problem that semester, and being two girls in a room, we decided the easiest way to solve the problem was jump on my bed, get away from the mice and shriek until the guys next door came to our rescue. Amos and his roommate burst in to find out what we were making all the racket about, and Amos quickly decided that the nearest mouse eliminator at hand was my saber. He spent about five minutes cornering that mouse under my desk, and finally emerged victorious, and presented me with my combat-tested saber and the advice that I might want to clean it, but he would dispose of the mouse.
Mouse hunting aside, Amos also decided he needed to educate me on a few domestic skills, but especially cooking, teaching me how to make a good pot of coffee and "Barracks Quesadillas." I didn't know what to think the night he knocked on door and asked if I was hungry and if I had an iron. Replying yes on both accounts, I was told to hurry up and get next door and bring my iron with me. I laughed when he said we were making quesadillas, but they were really good, and all it took was ironing the tortillas and cheese between waxed paper or paper towels. I never would have thought of that.
The last night before we left for Christmas leave, we both were up pretty much all night studying for the Mil Art TEE. It focused pretty heavily on the Civil War, and I kept getting generals mixed up and couldn't keep track of the order of the battles. After agreeing to refer to it as the War of Northern Agression, Amos walked me through the entire war and laid it all out for me far better than any text book or History P had been able to. Of course, the lesson featured heavily on Missouri's contribution to the war, and had a side note on why Amos was Amos Camden Riley (and had the card to prove where it came from). That was probably the first (and only) history TEE I ever went into feeling that I knew the answer to just about anything they could throw at me.
I guess to sum it all up, Amos taught me an awful lot, and I'm incredibly grateful. I cried when I heard, but in trying to explain the type of person he was to the people I was with, I found myself laughing as I told some of these stories. He was just such a good guy, and I'm truly sorry that he's gone. Well done Amos, we'll see you on the other side.
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